Why Ayatollah Khamenei Kept One Hand Hidden Beneath His Cloak For 45 Years

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in his office on Saturday in the most ambitious joint attack by Israel and the United States on Iranian targets in decades. "The Supreme Leader of Iran Has Reached Martyrdom," state broadcaster IRIB reported on Sunday morning.

Eight years before he became the Supreme Leader, Khamenei, then President, survived an assassination attempt but suffered a permanent injury which became a part of the signature image of the Supreme Leader.

On June 27, 1981, he went to a mosque to pray after returning from the frontlines of the Iran-Iraq war. Following the prayers, he spoke to his followers and responded to their questions.

People mourn the death of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint US and Israeli strikes, at a square in Tehran on March 1, 2026.
Photo Credit: AFP

An individual described as "a young man of medium height, curly hair, beard and chequered coat" put a tape recorder on a desk in front of Khamenei and pressed a button. After about a minute, the recorder began whistling and exploded.

On the inner wall of the tape recorder, a message read, "A gift of Furqan Group to the Islamic Republic." Furqan Group was a militant opposition to the ruling clerical order.

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Khamenei took several months to recover after suffering injuries to his right arm, vocal cords, and lungs. While some wounds healed, his right arm was paralysed forever.

"I won't need the hand. It would suffice if my brain and tongue work," he said.

Motorists drive past a plume of smoke rising from a reported Iranian strike in the industrial district of Doha on March 1, 2026.
Photo Credit: AFP

He learned to write with his left hand and later rose to become a member of the inner leadership ring of the religious establishment.

While Khamenei dominated Iran's political and religious life for decades, details about his wife, children and grandchildren have remained limited. 

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He is survived by his wife, Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, and their six children. Though some extended relatives are believed to reside abroad, including reports of nephews and grandsons living in Paris, his immediate family has remained based in Iran. 

According to Axios, the 86-year-old Khamenei had led Iran for 35 years, making him one of the world's longest-serving rulers. His death deals a significant blow to the regime and may intensify pressure on the leadership, as US and Israeli officials have previously stated their aim of weakening Iran's ruling establishment.